Parliament Reconvened: Vote of No Confidence Against PM Mahind Rajapaksa Passed. President Maithripala a Noted Absentee

When the Sri Lanka’s Parliament reconvened this morning, the noted absentee was the Country’s President Maithripala Srisena. In fact, he should have been there to make the inaugural address of his Government, which was a customary affair. But he was not there.

No reasons for his absent was given, however the Parliament was reconvened with Karu Jayasuria, the Speaker in the chair.

The Office of the Speaker stated that a no confidence motion and a letter signed by 122 parliamentarians against the Prime Minister and the new Cabinet appointed by the President have been presented to the Speaker at the parliamentary session today (14).

Issuing a press release, the Speaker’s Office said that, the Parliament sat at 10.00 am today (14) in terms of Gazette Extraordinary No. 2095/50 dated 04 November 2018 issued by the President.

“After the Speaker has made the announcements as the Business for the Day, MP M.A. Sumanthiran from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), moved that the business of the House be proceeded suspending the Standing Orders of Parliament.

Accordingly, a division had been moved for suspending the Standing Orders and then the Standing orders were suspended with the approval of the majority of the Members.

The no confidence motion signed by 122 legislators on the new Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and the newly elected government was presented by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna legislator Anura Kumara Dissanayaka and seconded by JVP legislator Vijitha Herath.

The presented motion read that,

“The Gazette Extraordinary Nos. 2094/43, 2094/43A and 2094/44 dated 26th October 2018 promulgated by His Excellency the President, and the purported acts and appointments referred to therein, are unconstitutional, and are null and void and of no force or effect in law.

For the aforesaid reasons, this House has no confidence in the Prime Minister Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa or the Cabinet of Ministers and government appointed on or after 26th October 2018.”

The release read that, “Then the Opposition party moved a division for that, and after the division bell has been rung, the Speaker ordered for voting.

A majority of the Hon. Members of Parliament voted in favor of the No -Confidence Motion and accordingly the Hon. Speaker announced to the House that the No -Confidence Motion was passed with a majority.

Subsequently, MP Lakshman Kiriella proposed that the House should be adjourned until 10.am tomorrow (15) and the House gave its approval for it.”

The Speaker will take steps to send the President a copy of the No -Confidence Motion and the decision of the House in that regard along with a copy of the letter signed by 122 Members of Parliament to the effect that the Prime Minister and the Cabinet of Ministers appointed by him recently are unconstitutional, in order to take appropriate action according to the Constitution, further stated the press release.

However, when the motion was taken up for a vote, legislators from the ruling party broke out in protest prompting Prime Minister Rajapakse to leave the floor of the House.

United National Party (UNP) MPs have declared that the No-Confidence Motion against Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was passed in Parliament with a majority.
Anyhow when the motion was taken up for a vote, legislators from the ruling party broke out in protest prompting Prime Minister Rajapakse to leave the floor of the House.

Sittings were suspended after a group of United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) MPs disrupted sittings in the middle of the well, protesting against the decision by the Speaker to call a vote on a no-confidence motion presented by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) against Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

However Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Legislator, Dinesh Gunawardena said the vote had not been passed as the Speaker had not followed normal parliamentary traditions by calling for an electronic vote.
Legislators loyal to Prime Minister Rajapakse said they would not accept the No Confidence Motion and reiterated they had a majority in House which would be shown on Thursday.

UNP Legislator, Lakshman Kiriella told journalists following the adjournment that the no confidence vote had been passed with a majority and the new Prime Minister and government would cease to exist.

“We have the majority and the proper parliamentary procedures were followed. The new government is no more. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will once again be the Prime Minister of the nation,” Kiriella said.

When the No Confidence motion was being debated two UPFA MPs Piyasena Gamage and Manusha Nanayakkara crossed over to the UNP. According to reports, A.H.M. Fowzie has also crossed over to the UNP.

Sri Lanka has been embroiled in a severe political turmoil, when on Oct 26, President Maithripala Sirisena surprisingly sacked his Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and appointed former president Mahinda Rajapakse to the post.